Printed tag receiver for tag printing machines



Sept. 23, 1952 P. N. BRAUN 2,611,314

PRINTED TAG RECEIVER FOR TAG PRINTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 12, 1948 INVENTOR.

w men Patented Sept. 23, 1952 PRINTED TAG RECEIVER FOR TAG PRINTING MACHINES Philip N. Braun, Syracuse, N. Y. Application October 12, 1948, Serial No. 54,063

This invention relates to tape feeding and severing mechanisms for so-called marking machines used for printing on tags an identifying number, or character, to be applied to articles to be dry-cleaned, or laundered, the articles of each customer having attached thereto a tag having the same identifying number, the identifying numbers for different customers being different.

The invention is applied to this general type of marking machine wherein the printing is applied to a tape fed intermittently from a roll across the platen face of a platen, and the tape severed after each printing operation into short pieces or tags containing the identifying numbers.

The invention has for its object a receiver on the platen carrier and located in line with the face of the platen to receive the portion of the tape projected during the intermittent feeding off the face of the platen and to hold the same after it is severed from the tape.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a, plan view, partly broken away, of the tape feeding and severing mechanism showing the tag receiver applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of parts seen in Figure 1, a fragmentary portion of the printing wheels of the machine being also shown.

Figure 3 is an isometric view of the tag receiver.

I designates the type wheels of a printing machine, the wheels being operable by hand to set diflerent numbers or type on their peripheries into a printing line.

2 designates a platen carrier having a back and forth operating movement to carry the face 3 of the platen, across which the tape is lying, toward and from the printing line.

The carrier is here shown as a lever pivoted at 4 to the frame of the machine, the carrier having a head 5 at its upper end on which is mounted a roll, as 6, of tape. Feeding mechanism for the tape and severing mechanism comprising a knife for severing the printed end of the tape, and actuating mechanism for the knife, are carried by the actuator 2, or the head 5 thereof. The head is provided with a knob or handle 1 by means of which the carrier is moved forward 2 v J and rearward about the pivot 4. The platen face 3 is on the front side of the head. The tape 6 feeds from the roll 6 mounted in the head coaxial with the stem of the handle 1 between feed pulleys 8, 9, across the platen face 3 and off the platen face. The knife 10 of the severing is located at the discharge end of the platen face with respect to the direction of the feeding movement. The platen face is provided with overhanging flanges under which the side margins of the tape run to guide the tape in its passage across the platen face 3. The tape feeding and knife operating mechanisms form no part of this invention. They operate to feed the tape during the initial part of the retrograde movement of the carrier 2 away from the printing line to sever the printed portion of the tape, and during the latter part of the retrograde movement of the carrier. This mechanism is substantially the same as in my pending application, Ser. No. 27,685, filed May 18, 1948. Insofar as this invention is concerned, the tape may be fed and the printed portion severed during the movement of the carrier in any suitable manner.

This invention relates to a receiver for the ends of the tape after being fed off the platen face 3, and holding them after being severed.

H designates the receiver, this being attached to the head 5 in line with the platen face 3 laterally relatively to the head with respect to the feeding movement of the tape. The receiver is in the form of a shallow channel, the bottom of which is in line with the platen face and having a bracket 12 for attachment to the head 5. The head includes upper and lower plates l3 and I4 between which the roll of tape is held, and the bracket I2 is secured, as at l5, to the front end of the lower plate I4. The receiver carries a leaf spring 16 anchored at one end to the receiver at I! extended lengthwise of the receiver in the direction of the feeding movement and pressing lightly at its free end at I8 on the end portions of the tape feeding into the receiver, or on a stack of such end portions. The inner end of the receiver is spaced from the discharge end of the platen face, and the knife 10 operates through such space. The outer end corner portion of the receiver is provided with a cut-out 19 extending along one side of the receiver. The cut-out permits the severed printed tags to be readily removed from the receiver and from under the spring.

In operation, the tape is initially arranged across the platen face 3 terminating at the end of the platen face. During the forward movelying the platen face is printed, and during the retrograde movement the second printed end is moved onto the receiver over the previously printed end and severed, as before. Because the tape is in a roll, it tends to bow slightlywhen fed off the platen face, so that its advance end presses downward on the bottom of the receiver, or on the underlying previously printed tag and thus pushes under the spring [5. When the desired number of printed tags have accumulated in the receiver, the operator can take hold of the printed tags, due to the cut-out in the bottom of the receiver. By reason of this receiver, a number of tags can be printed and accumulated and .easily removed, and do not fall promiscuously from the printing machine as they are printed.

What I claim is: A receiver for tags severed from tape in a printing machine which includes a platen carrier having a back and forth movement to carry the tape toward and from the printing line, tape feeding mechanism on the platen carrier operated by the movement of the carrier, and a knife also carried by the platen carrier and operated by the shifting movement of the carrier to sever the printed portion of the tape after said portion has been fed off the platen face, said receiver being characterized by being mounted on the carrier in line with the platen face and spaced endwise from the end of the platen face with respect to the feeding movement, with the knife being movable between the end of the platen face and the end of the receiver.

PHILIP N. BRAUN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,573,414 Mahoney Feb. 16, 1926 1,632,648 Gray -2. June 14, 1927 1,891,286 Miersch Dec. 20, 1932 2,080,056 Miller May 11, 1937 

